Golf-practising device.



C. S. BRITTON.

GOLF PRACTISING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED' MAY z3, |914.

Patented Dec. 21, 1915.

, ventions.

\CIHARLES S. BRI'IITON, 0F CLEVELAND, OHIO.

GOLF-PRACTISING DEVICE.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 21, MM5.

Application led May 23, 1914. Serial No. 840,625.

To all lwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES S. I SRiTToN, f a citizen ofthe United States, reslding at.

age posltlon of rest preparatory to being struck. p

The primary object 1s to make-possible a repeated"driving without requiring either a recovery of the ball or a removal of the player tol a different location.

A further object consists 1n the provision of suitable means 'for indicating the efficacy of any or each successive stroke.

The inventive conception is associated wlth means which are herelnafter explalned "and variously combined in ythe claims.

While the annexed drawing and particular description thereof, jointly set forth in detail preferred and modified forms embody-` ing my invention, it should be understood that the means only exemplify some of many diversified mechanical forms with which the principle of my invention may be justly applied.

Figure I is a part section part elevation of one preferred embodiment of my invention. Fig. II is a section lon line II-II of Fig. I looking in the direction of the arrows. Fig. III is a plan of onevdetail of Fig. I. Fig. IV'is a modification in respect to one detail.

Adverting to the several views in numerical sequence and considering first Figs.

I to III inclusive, it will be Seen that the invention is shown mounted upon an eleelongated slot ashaving in this -instance The flooring a? n spherical end ,i surfaces a4.

. is furthermore provided a given distance vadjacent the latter is a pedestal a".

to one side with an opening a*s and mounted The purpose of the opening a yand pedestal aP will `hereinafter become apparent. The fiooring a2 is also provided with a countersunk opening a7 on that side of theslot a3 which is opposite to `the opening a5.

Suspended from the flooring a2 by means yof screws' b', on each side iof the slot 1.3 is a bracketl B. The brackets B are formed below .as an annular flanged rlm b,l whlch y described.

Fixedly mounted upon the shaft C between the bores b5 is a ball supporting structure D. Such mounting is effected through the agency of a hub d. The structure D involves an arm d2 adapted to extend outwardly through the slot as, and in a direction diametrically opposite to that of the arm o2. The outer extremity of the arm d2 is fashioned as a spherical surfaced cup d3 designed to conform to the size of any officially adopted golf ball d4. The center` of the cup. cl3 should be, when the arm d2 is in its upright position, a distance above the upper surface of the flooring' a2 corresponding'to an average elevation of a golf ball upon its tee. Such ball may be further held in place by a spring finger Z5 adapted to engage the under surface of that side which is exposed, as clearly seen in Fig. II.,

An 'indicating device E adapted preferably to register in yards, and as illustrated in Fig. III according to a scale from zero to three hundred, is pivotally mounted upon the pedestalas. The device E comprises an indicating finger' e adapted automatically to return to zero, and a recording finger e2 adapted to remain in the position to which it was carried by the movement of the indicating finger e. Both fingers are operatively connected with the extremity c through the agency among else of a flexible shaft e3. Since nothing is claimed for the interior mechanism of the indicating device, it will be presumed to have been properly calibrated such ythat the revolutions of the ball d* are translated upon its dial in yards.

For convenience it is desirable to have the golf ball normally maintained in its uppermost position preparatory to the deliverance of any particular practice stroke and it is for this purpose that a spring controlling mechanism F is supplied. This mechanism involves a spring seat collar f held in ny suitable manner upon the extremity c3 of the shaft, and another spring seat f2 held in vertical alinement therewith by a set screw f3. A compression balance spring f* operatively connects the collar f and seat f? whereby `the extremity c3 is normally held in its lowermost position and hence the a'rmul2 in its upright position.

As should now be readily understood, a player may stand a suitable distance beyond the opening a? and facing the indicating device E and thus be in a position to address the ball and perfect himself by a successive driving of the same in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. II orv toward the line of vision in Fig. I. As earlier suggested, the number of-revolutions imparted by the blow upon the ball d* may be accurately translated into yards by the recording linger e2 and the fulfilment 'of the purposes of my"`i`nvention thereby attained.

The modification outlined in Fig. IV resides solely in making the ball there indicated as (Z6 integral with the extremity of the arm (Z2.

My invention being thus described with suflicient thoroughness, what I desire to se- `cure by Letters Patent and therefore claim specifically, is

1. A golf practising device comprising aA support, a crank arm revolubly mounted thereon, the extremity of said arm being provided with a gripping device and a golf ball carried by the latter.

2. A golf practising device comprising a structure adapted for insertion into the earth so as to form a hollow compartment in conjunction therewith, and a member mounted for movement within such receptacle and provided upon its outer end with a ball, said ball being adapted to describe an arcuate path above thesurface 0f said structure, and a balance spring operatively associated with said member and adapted to normally maintain such outer end uppermost.

3. A golf practising device comprismg a hollow support, ball bearings therem, an arm rotatably mounted upon said bearmgs,

the extremity of said arm having a spherical surface and adapted to project a given distance beyond the top of said support, a balance spring for normally holding such surface above said support. and means disposed above the latter for adjusting sald spring.

4.- Agolf practising device'comprising a hollow support set 'below the ground surface and provided above with a recess, a

rshaft rotatably mounted below said recess, andprovided With a bent extension, an arm secured' to` said .shaft and having its free end carrying a spherical surface, such spherical surface being adapted to project a given distance above said ground surface, and yielding means for normally mainf taining said extensionin its lowermost position. l

5. A golf practising device comprising a hollow support, a shaft rotatably mounted in said support and having a zig-zag portion projected in a given direction, an arm lprojected from said shaft in the opposite ball in place.

7. A golf practising device comprising a support, a' member movably mounted thereon, the extremity of said member being provided with a concave surface facing rearwardly with reference to the intended direction of movement to be imparted to said member, and a golf ball carried in said concavity.

8. A golf practising device comprising a support provided with a pair of substan' tially horizontal bearings, a shaft rotatably mounted therein and having one end projecting beyond one of said bearings, such projecting end being twice bent in relatively transverse directions, a golf ball holder revolubly carried by said shaft, and means to cooperate with said bent end whereby to hold it in a givenposition of rest.

9. `A golf practising device comprising a support, a shaft rotatably mounted thereon, a rigid member lixedly secured to said shaft, a spherical surface at the extremity of said member, means lcoacting with such surface to hold a golf ball, and an indicating device flexibly connected to said shaft for translating the revolutions of said ball into ya rds.

Signed by me, this 19th day of May, 1914,. 4

CHARLES Attested by- MARY COLEMAN, IVILLIAM C. BRACKEN.

s.' BRiTfroN. 

